The present invention relates to a line segment display apparatus having the display generated by a series of line segments on a raster-type display means.
A continuous, visual presentation of changes in various functions and processes may employ video devices.
A particularly satisfactory apparatus is disclosed in the copending application of Lawrence T. McQuire entitled "MULTI CHANNEL DATA COLOR DISPLAY APPARATUS" filed on July 10, 1974 with Ser. No. 487,010 and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,470 which issued on Aug. 21, 1976, wherein a multi-channel data color display apparatus includes continuous monitored data and driving a multiple channel display means, with each channel identified by a selected unique color. In one embodiment, a raster-type TV tube is re-oriented to present vertical scan lines with each line formed as a line segment. A computer stores the beginning and end definition of each line segment and the information is read out in proper sequence from successive data locations to activate a color driver which produces a predetermined color presentation in each channel and thereby provides a color-coded presentation.
A conventional television receiver with interlaced scanning is employed for the graphical display. A sequence controller addresses the memory to provide sequential entry of information into a pair of start and stop registers which are connected to a reading circuit to produce output signals in timed relation to the television receiver synchronizing signal unit and particularly the horizontal and vertical sync signals and the odd and even frame signals. A coordinate counter is driven from the TV sync clock and is reset at the beginning of each scan line. The register number is compared with the counter and when a selected comparison with the first register exists the TV beam driver is driven to illuminate a correspondingly positioned display coordinate of the conventional television set and illumination is maintained until a selected comparison with the second register exists. The sequence then steps the addressing means, one address to load the new start coordinator for the next segment and another address to load the new stop coordinate for the next segment in the pair of registers. In this manner, the unit continuously controls the sequential reading of successive memory locations and the individual coordinates of the respective line segment coordinate in a proper time position in accordance with the sampled data.
Although the line segment display provides a simple and relatively inexpensive video instrument, the stepped, graphical display generated by the reading of successive locations does not provide a waveform, readily and conveniently interpreted. Further, the data presented is, of course, limited by the number of scan lines of the display means, which for a conventional interlaced frame system, is only a total 512 lines. Although such a system is, therefore, a practical instrument, limitations on its use are inherent in the data presentation and the amount of data presented in any given graphical display.